ARTICLES ABOUT INDIAN AIR FORCE BY DATE - PAGE 3

NEW DELHI: India will tomorrow celebrate its 66th Republic Day, showcasing before the chief guest US President Barack Obama and the world its military might and cultural diversity with a splendid display of land and naval weaponry, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. With "Women's Empowerment" being the theme of this year's Republic Day parade, the main attraction of the annual extravaganza would be marching contingents of all-women officers of the three Services. Defence sources say the thought of having an all-women contingent came from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself as he wanted the Services to focus on "Nari Shakti".

HYDERABAD: A team of senior executives of global security and aerospace Lockheed Martin visited the Tata-Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Ltd (TLMAL) facility here. Led by Executive Vice President, Lockheed Martin International, Patrick Dewar , the team visited the facility yesterday to inspect the military transport aircraft C130-Js and tour the TLMAL site. Set up in 2012, TLMAL manufactures airframe components for the global supply chain of C-130J Super Hercules. Tata Advanced Systems holds 74 per cent stake in the JV, with Lockheed Martin holding the remaining 26 per cent stake, the company said in a statement today.

COIMBATORE: Air Marshal, Jagjeet Singh, Air Officer Command In Chief, Maintenance Command, Indian Air Force , has said the IAF was going through a transformational phase, where it was acquiring new aircraft and systems. This required high degree of professionalism to operate and maintain the equipment, Singh said, addressing the personnel of 5 Base Repair Depot, IAF, Sulur, on the outskirts, yesterday. Singh also stressed the need for retention of vintage systems and to be self-sufficient as far as their maintenance was concerned, an official release said today.

NEW DELHI: President Barack Obama's schedule is likely to undergo a change and he may now depart from Agra instead of Delhi as authorities have examined the feasibility of his Air Force One aircraft landing in the city of Taj Mahal. Obama, who will be the Chief Guest for the Republic Day, is likely to fly to Agra by the Air Force One on the morning of January 27 to visit Taj Mahal and leave directly from there, official sources said here today. According to the sources, Air Force One is likely to land at Agra's Indian Air Force base.

NEW DELHI: India has said a polite 'no' to the US for its proposal that only the American snipers be deployed on the rooftops of buildings overlooking Rajpath during the Republic Day parade where President Barack Obama will be the Chief Guest. With preparations for the high-profile visit beginning January 25 entering the last leg, top security officials of the two countries are engaged in sorting out such issues about deployment and other aspects related to protection of the world's most secured leader.

NASIK: The first of the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter planes, overhauled within the country, was today handed over to the Indian Air Force by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar here, making India the only nation to re-do the Russian-made aircraft. The overhauling of the fighter, which is the backbone of the IAF, was done by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The company said the second aircraft is also ready for delivery. The handing over coincided with 50 years of establishment of Nasik Division of the HAL. On the occasion, Parrikar said India would continue to need fighter planes such as Su-30s due to not so friendly neighbourhood.

PARIS/NEW DELHI: With the Indo-French $6 billion surface-to-air missile systems project in doldrums, France is hoping that new government's push for "Make in India" will lead to inking of the long delayed deal. France remains hopeful of signing the deal even though Indian armed forces are sceptical about the missile since indigenously developed Akash is in play. Titled Maitri, the project for joint development and production between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

NEW DELHI: The government today approved a Maharashtra government proposal to provide land to the Indian Air Force for relocation of its assets to allow the development of the Nagpur airport. The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi , approved the "transfer/exchange of 278 hectares of IAF land comprising of 288.74 acres of Airports Authority of India land in possession of IAF, in lieu of 400 hectares of land offered by the Government of Maharashtra for the development of the Nagpur airport project.

NEW DELHI: Indian Air Force received 81 Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft as against 112 due till 2012-13 from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) because of delay in receipt of technical documents from Russian manufacturer Rosoboronexport (ROE). Due to delayed delivery of the fighter planes, the Defence Ministry recovered liquidated damages of Rs 96.26 crore from HAL, which, however, could not recover the amount from ROE "in the absence of enabling provision" in their contract, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)